Malaysian Idol - Malaysia idols all about idol singer in Malaysia

Malaysian idols 2010

2010-07-02T05:40:00.000-07:00

Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan told a High Court here today that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is a charismatic leader and was his idol during his growing up years.

Mohd Saiful said he first met Anwar after the election through a friend.

He said the friend, identified as Rahimi Osman, had invited him to his office in Section 16, Petaling Jaya, and had asked if he (Mohd Saiful) was working anywhere.

"When I said I was not working, he asked whether I wanted to become an assistant in Anwar's office," said Saiful, adding that the PKR advisor was short of staff at that moment.

This led to an introduction to Anwar and his subsequent acceptance as a personal assistant to the former deputy prime minister.

“I was surprised. I had not decided on anything yet when Anwar said, ‘I appreciate your helping us’. It was a signal that he accepted me there and then.”

Asked whether Anwar asked him about his qualification, Saiful said yes.

Asked about his resignation from his job, Saiful said he had first informed Anwar of his resignation via email at about 9am on June 27, 2008 (a day after the alleged sodomy).

"After a few hours, Anwar called me (on the phone) and scolded me and told me to meet him at the office at Section 16 that afternoon," said Saiful.

"At that time, I was scared but I went to see him. He asked me why I wanted to resign and I stated the reasons in the email; firstly, lack of discpline as I was always late to office and he always scolded me," said Saiful.

"Secondly, I was not qualified and was afraid to be questioned as I was given more privileges than the other staff," said Saiful.

For example, he said, he was given a room in the (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) new office at Tropicana Merchant Square.

However, he said the real reason was that, he was not wiiling to be treated in that way again (referring to the alleged sodomy).

At this point Karpal objected to the word "again" and asked for the word to be excluded.

However, judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said he understood it as Saiful not wanting it to happen again and said there was no question of prejudice.

Continuing his testimony, Saiful said, Anwar persuaded him not to resign and told him to be more discplined. "He counter-offered (saying) he would sponsor my education," said Saiful.

He said it did not matter where he studied, that he could do full-time study and at the same time get full salary and allowances.

"At that time, I was scared to object," said Saiful, adding that, he agreed.

He said after a few hours, Anwar sent him an email. He said, as far as he remembered, Anwar thanked him for being willing to continue his service.

Malaysian Idol Finale happens this weekend in Genting!

2009-05-07T07:54:00.001-07:00

Don’t miss it! The Grand Final of Malaysian Idol 2 happens this Friday and Saturday at Genting Arena of Stars.

The Idol craze continues and the search for the next Malaysian Idol will climax with a two-part grand finale featuring the two remaining Malaysian Idol finalists at the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands on September 23-24.

The final showdown is the culmination of a grueling four-month hunt for the next Malaysian Idol, involving over 9,000 aspirants who turned up for the nationwide auditions, and thereafter the Theatre Elimination round, the Workshop rounds before the Spectacular stages for the 11 finalists.
“We are all geared up for the final showdown and it’s going to be a very close and nail-biting finish”, said Ahmad Izham Omar, Chief Operating Officer of 8TV at a press conference to announce details of the Grand Finale.

Once again BOTH 8TV and TV3 will be airing the final shows at the same time. The Grand Finale show, a two-hour special, will be held at 9 pm on the 23rd of September. The Results Show will feature special performances culminating in the crowning of the very first Malaysian Idol. This will be aired on Saturday, 24th September at 9 pm.

“There will also be something extra for people who watch on 8TV,” Izham continued. “On 8TV, we start the fun and excitement 30 minutes earlier, with exclusive shows on both days that feature behind-the-scenes footage, red carpet celebrity arrivals, not-to-be-missed special performances and much more! In fact, after the Results is announced on Saturday, 8TV viewers will be able to see a LIVE press conference! This is really reality TV at its best!”

The voting window for the Malaysian Idol Grand Finale will open at 11 pm after the Friday show on the 23rd of September and will close 10 minutes into the Results show at 9:10 pm on Saturday the 24th of September. To vote, just key in VOTE, NICK of the contestants and send it to 33722. Viewers can also vote by calling a number assigned to each contestant.

“The Idol phenomenon continues,” said Izham on the growing TV ratings of Malaysian Idol which peaked with an overwhelming 3.4 million viewers on 8TV and TV3 combined during the Spectacular stages and a cumulative of almost 15 million viewers for season 2 to date.

Admissions to the Arena of Stars is free and tickets can be obtained from the official website www.malaysianidol.com.my and also through 8TV shows namely the 8TV Quickie and the 8 E-News. Tickets are also available via HITZ.FM and in other numerous media contests. You can also get tickets from the 8-Team, 8TV’s street team. For details on the 8Team’s whereabouts this coming week, you can log on to www.8tv.com.my or e-mail them at 8team@8tv.com.my. There are also tickets available for myTV3 members. Full details on tickets listing can be found on www.malaysianidol.com.my.

The performances at the Grand Finale will be accompanied by a live band led by the renowned musician Aubrey Suwito who has assembled a stellar of ‘who’s who’ cast of Malaysian musicians including Shah Slam, Hilary Ng and Andy Peterson. The music will be augmented by a string section featuring some of the finest string players in Malaysia.

The Malaysian Idol Grand Finale stage will also have a very different look this year. Not only will it be an enormous stage (about 116 feet X 66 feet) with different levels, but this year the stage has a more organic look, with water motifs and lines that change colours and textures with the lights.

The focus of the stage will be the gigantic 30-foot screen which will be illuminated with state-of-the-art graphics. The idols will sing 3 songs each, one judges’ choice, one personal choice and one theme song. The theme song is titled ‘Mimpi’ and it was written by Pot Amir of Innuendo.

Chinese Malaysian - Education and Language

2009-02-13T23:28:00.000-08:00

A sizeable group of Chinese Malaysians speak English as a first language (something carried over from the British colonial days). They speak English at home, and make it a point to immerse and educate their children in the English language.

Like their counterparts in Singapore, they are known as the "English-educated" although the term is something of an anachronism. Unlike in Singapore, English has not been used as a language of instruction in Malaysia (except in private institutions and urban schools) since it was phased out the 1970s and 1980s in favour of Malay. Although there are English medium schools in Malaysia that provide an education based on a British or US-based curriculum, these cater to expatriate children.

However, as of 2002, the Malaysian government has reintroduced English as the language of instruction for Science and Mathematics in national secondary schools and universities.

While "proper" English is generally spoken and understood among the Chinese Malaysians, the main form used is a patois called Manglish (Malaysian English). Manglish is very similar to Singlish (Singaporean English).

Manglish speakers typically understand 80-90% of Singlish and vice versa. See British and Malaysian English differences. Unless specifically Manglish or Singlish terms are used in a conversation, it can be difficult even for native speakers to differentiate the two as the intonation and most terms (especially the infamous lah) are common. Singaporean television sitcoms such as Phua Chu Kang and Under One Roof that make use of Singlish are popular in Malaysia. The Singapore government has tried to reduce the use of Singlish in these serials, with visible success.

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Chinese Malaysian - Education and Language

2009-02-13T23:13:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, the Chinese Malaysians have placed great importance and value on education because of their view of education as being a means to improve their standard of living. This is also due in part to the traditional Confucian esteem of education and the educated. Today, Chinese Malaysians are one of the most academically competitive groups in the country and in the region (including Australia, a popular destination for many Chinese Malaysian students
pursuing their tertiary education).

A large segment of the Chinese Malaysian population is predominantly Chinese-speaking. They are commonly known as the "Chinese-educated". Malaysia is also the only country outside China (the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), to have a completely Chinese-medium education system. There are roughly 1,300 Chinese public primary schools (national-type schools) in Malaysia that are all partially government funded (the salary of the teachers is paid by the government while the upkeep of the schoolbuilding is paid by the communities through donations). The Chinese national-type school received less than 3% of total funding for all primary schools. Mandarin is the language of instruction in all subjects except Bahasa Melayu and English.

In the 1960s, all but 16 of the Chinese secondary schools had recieved government funding and had been converted into National Secondary Schools (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan), but the term "National-type Secondary Schools" is used internally until today to show that they were once Chinese Schools.

They first used English but later on used Bahasa Malaysia as the language of instruction. Today there are 60 Chinese secondary schools that are supported financially mostly by the public. These are called "Independant Chinese Schools". Mandarin is the main language of instruction in these private schools except Bahasa Malaysia and English, but some schools use either Malay or English in selected subjects.

In 2004, according to statistical data, 90% of all Chinese Malaysians attend Chinese primary schools (The figure was around 70% in 1970). Among the 600,000 Chinese primary school students, roughly 10% are of non-Chinese descent. On the other hand, 90% of Chinese primary school graduates continue their secondary studies in public secondary schools (both national and national-type), while the remaining 10% go to Chinese private secondary schools. There are also three privately-owned post-secondary institutes in Malaysia where the language of instruction is Mandarin.

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Danny Lee Malaysian Idol

2009-02-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

Unpredictable season

It has been an unpredictable second season for Malaysian Idol. Controversies have dogged the show, with everything from early eliminations of good singers to whether singing talent or popularity would determine the winner.

The promise of "bigger, better and more drama" for this season's show, made by 8TV chief operations officer Ahmad Izham Omar, was a bold one, but did it come true for fans?

A quick survey found that they felt that this year's show failed to measure up to the first season. Reasons cited were that last year's finalists were more talented and performed better overall.

While the overall show may not have compared favourably to the first season, Roslan was quick to remind fans of one important fact.

"Put the two seasons together and you will realise that we have discovered four good singers; Jaclyn Victor, Dina (Faradina Mohd Nazir, last year's runner up), Nita and Daniel. We also have at least five or six other finalists with great talent," he said.

Izham revealed plans to have an Asean Idol competition. "We are still in discussion with the show's creator Fremantle Media on how to get the show on track. There are a lot of logistics to consider," he ended cryptically.

For Daniel, his status as the new Malaysian Idol marks a new chapter in his life. Will all the votes he received translate into high album sales? Only time will tell. In the meantime, congratulations to Daniel for a hard-earned win.

Almost famous

Malaysian Idol is all about making people's dreams of stardom come true. So it is no surprise that amidst the glitz and glamour of the Malaysian Idol 2 Grand Finale Results Show, in front of several thousand screaming fans, a group of young people got an opportunity to perform and be an "Idol for the night".

But these were not finalists; they were the ones who had been rejected during the audition stages, but who were invited back because they had made such an impression on the viewers and judges.

Three of the courageous and sporting individuals who agreed to come back and perform were Azni Aggu, 25, from Johor Baru and 23-year old Catalina Rembuyan Age, and Michael Peter, 21, both from Kuala Lumpur.

Azni, who stunned the judges with her earlier off-key performance of Siti Nuhaliza's Bukan Cinta Biasa, bought a new dress for the night's show. "I'm a naturally shy person," she said. "At first, I was very nervous since I had no experience singing, but I really wanted to try and be a star."

Catalina, though, almost refused to show up. "I got cold feet over the weekend and nearly pulled out. But I realised that this was a chance that most people would kill for, and if I rejected it, I would regret it."

She performed her own version of the Cranberries hit, Zombie.

Michael danced energetically to his namesake Michael Jackson's Thriller, accompanied by backup dancers dressed as ghouls.

"I am happy that 8TV gave me this opportunity," he said. "I want to thank them, the backup dancers and also my colleagues and family who supported me."

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Danny Lee Malaysian Idol

2009-02-12T06:30:00.000-08:00

IT WOULD be easy to question the results of last weekend's Malaysian Idol 2 Grand Finale and ask how and why 23-year-old Daniel Lee Chee Hun won the title of the second Malaysian Idol.

Was it really a popularity contest instead of a singing competition? Do teenage girls, who make up the majority of Daniel's fans, really have that much power during voting? And was Nita, full name Norhanita Hamzah, 25, robbed of the title that she rightly deserved?

The answers to these questions really depend on whether or not you are a Daniel or Nita fan. The majority of people in the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands that night were definitely the latter, and it has to be admitted that a large number of the press and even the judges were secretly supporting Nita as the better singer.

Despite clearly having the technical advantage over Daniel, Nita was the obvious underdog when it came to the number of votes, as she had been nearly eliminated from the competition several times.

Of the initial 11 finalists that started out in July, Daniel was the only one never to be in the bottom three and, it has to be suspected, probably even led the votes most of the time. So really, his win was not that much a surprise.

In addition, his performance on Friday night was nothing short of phenomenal. Heavily criticised by the judges week after week during the theatre and Spectacular stages, Daniel was never the best singer, and admitted he had a weak voice. Many thought that it was his cute, boyish looks that drew in the fans.

But the Universiti Sains Malaysia music undergrad proved his mettle that night with commendable renditions of Rick Price's Heaven Knows and Broery Marantika's Angin Malam.

Although his performance of the Malaysian Idol theme Mimpi was rather shaky, he had clearly improved dramatically from his limp showing just the week before.

Nita's performances of Mimpi, Shirley Bassey's Big Spender and Sheila on 7's Berhenti Berharap were done with her usual diva flair, sealing her reputation as a polished performer with a strong voice.

However, Daniel gave her a good fight for the title, and ended up with the lion's share - 68% - of the votes.

Malaysian Idol judge Roslan Aziz had earlier said: "The question of who is a better singer is a very subjective issue. 'Better' doesn't mean that you have to do a lot of vocal gymnastics like many black soul singers. It's how you connect with the audience."

Chief judge Paul Moss added: "We're here to build people's pop careers more than anything. Most older people won't understand Daniel's appeal. The majority of voters are teenage girls and youth are the lifeblood of the music industry. Teenagers like the new, pop-flavoured kind of music Daniel represents."

When asked what he thought of being considered a bubblegum pop singer, Daniel said: "I'm not sure if people have a particular reason for liking me. If they think I'm a pop singer, it's up to them. For me, I'm just being myself."

He is aware of the responsibilities of having so many young fans. "Parents have said I am a good role model for their kids, since I'm so young myself. So I will try to do my best."

Nita graciously conceded the title to Daniel, but admitted that she maintained dreams of her own to cut an album. "That is, if anyone still wants me," she added cheekily. "I'd like to do a rock album, but with gothic pop influences."

With her own considerable fanbase, perhaps now even more loyal after her loss, she already has a market for her music.

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Become Next Malaysian Idols

2009-02-12T01:27:00.000-08:00

In Malaysian Idol, thousands of hopefuls audition to become the next Malaysian Idol. The first season was hosted by Soo Kuei Jien ("Jien") and Sharifah Aleya. However for the second season, Jien's new co-host was Cheryl Samad.
In a nutshell, the Malaysian Idol competition follows the Idol Series' main concept. All rounds of competition are broadcasted on television. Contestants who aspire to be a singer sign up, and audition for the preliminary round in front of three judges (refer Judges below). The candidates are either accepted or rejected for the next round. In the next phase, Idol contestants perform individually and in a group. This round of elimination is also known as the "Theater Elimination" Round and their fate is again decided by the judges. The last phase involves weekly performances in front of an audience. The person with the least votes (as sent in by the audience throughout Malaysia through SMS and telephone calls) for each week is eliminated. After each performance the judges will give their feedback, however they do not determine whether the contestant should stay or go. This goes on until the Malaysian Idol has been selected.

The Malaysian Idol to Shout!

2009-02-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

With a name like Jaclyn Victor, it is perhaps unsurprising that she has gone on to archive many Victories in her career. The singer and actress will be performing at the Shout! Awards this Friday, 17 July 2009, leading the way with a tribute to Michael Jackson.

Jaclyn Victor will take the stage during the Shout! Awards for a tribute performance for Michael Jackson. The performance, with a breathtakingly moving musical arrangement by maestro Aubrey Suwito complete with a full vocal choir and guest rap artist Reefa, will feature several of Michael Jackson’s most recognizable hits.

1. What are you currently working on? When will we get to see it?

I have just finished recording my 3rd solo album and it is estimated to be out by mid of August and the most exciting project just around the corner is Shout Awards! Where I’ve been given the honour to sing in the tribute to MJ.

2. What music are you currently listening to?

As I always take the opportunity to belt out when im driving I have a whole stack of CD’s in my glove compartment, the favorite at the moment though is of course the late MJ.

3. Who do you think will replace MJ as the King/Queen of Pop?

Although there are many great artistes out there, no one will ever come close to the ‘Greatest’ but that’s just my humble opinion and I’m sure many of you agree with me.

4. You played the hero’s sister in Talentime. Will you be starring in more films anytime soon?

I’m someone who always takes opportunities, so of course if everything permits then I would like to try my hand at acting again.

5. What is your ambition within the next ten years?

A singer’s dream is to make an impact through his or her music and to be remembered for it. I am no exception to this , I too want the same. Not just for the next 10 years but even after im gone.

Malaysian Idols Jaclyn Victor

2009-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

She's a spectacular performer, and justifiably the winner of the first Malaysian Idols 2004.

She has an exalted Venus aspected by Saturn giving her charisma. However, she lost to Hady Mirza in the Asian idols 2007, although she had an arguably better performance. She is such an awesome performer with such a range that i had a hard time choosing which video to put. I found this one.

it is very recent and shows her evolution. Jaclyn's father died when she was nine, leaving her Mother to support her four children. When Jaclyn was 18 she started to sing in clubs to help support the family. Her middle name is Thanaraj, because her mother is of Indian descent according to perpetually15 blog.

Now, I believe that there was an astrological reason for her loss in December 2007. You see, she has a Capricorn natal Moon, and Jupiter had just transited into the 12th house of loss, namely Sagittarius.

She's obviously very successful, under contract with Sony and winning major music awards. She does have the Kalaparusha Yoga that I frequently refer to, meaning, of course, that one will rise to a high position in life. She reminds me of Tina Turner and Whitney Houston. Really high energy! Watch the video, you'll see.

In 2004, her mother encouraged her to audition for Malaysian Idol after hearing 8TV Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Izham Omar a.k.a Zakiah Omar saying, “Who knows, somebody in Bukit Kepong could be the first Malaysian Idol.” Along with ten thousand others, Victor auditioned for Malaysian Idol. Impressed by her strong voice and personality, the judges Roslan Aziz, Fauziah Latiff and Paul Moss put her through to the next round. Upon landing a final thirty-third spot, Jac performed live, earning praise from the judges for her performance of Superwoman, which was also received very well by Malaysians as she accumulated the most votes that evening, becoming the seventh person to reach the top twelve.

In the first spectacular, the theme for the week was “Song from your Pop Idol”.

Victor chose a song in Malay, Keliru (Confused). Her performance took her through to the next round. The second theme was “Song from your Classic Idol”. Victor’s choice was When I Fall in Love. After another double elimination sending off Fahmy and Rydee, Victor was back next week performing a “Song from the 80s”, Chaka Khan’s I Feel for You. She went on to the “Rock Show” with a performance of Sweet Child o’ Mine.

The last six contestants included Nikki, Dina, Vick, Andrew, and Saipul. Victor performed an effortless Lady Marmalade, but received a less favourable comment from Roslan, who expressed that “she is a super singer but not an idol”, and he felt bored week by week of her performances thus far. On the results show, she found herself in the bottom two for the first time (with Nikki, who performed Emotion), but she survived the elimination. After reaching the last three, her chances were improved by her performance of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You.

Victor had become the final two contestants on Malaysian Idol, and on October 16, she took the title of Malaysian Idol, earning 76% of audience votes over Dina.[1] In tears, Victor performed the ballad Gemilang (Glory), the song written for the winner of Malaysian Idol, which would subsequently appear on her début album Gemilang. The song’s music video incorporated short scenes of Victor through her journey in Malaysian Idol.

The Malaysian Idol Daniel Lee Chee Hun

2009-02-10T01:37:00.000-08:00

I’m actually happy that i’m one of the Malaysians that grew up from the years when Michael Wang Guang Liang and Victor Wong were still in a group which produced good music then.

Reading about the news on the marriage of both fellow Malaysian Stars Fish Leong 梁and Angelica Lee had me thinking that Malaysia actually produced quite a lot of good quality Stars/Artists and we Malaysians actually have quite a lot of stuffs to boast about.

Its been quite a long period of time that a number of Malaysian Stars have actually break out of the country gaining fame in the region be it actors or singers and me being part of the “spectators” that witness part of the whole process happening from them being unknown to being a public figure, i must say that i feel proud being a Malaysian, somehow.

Of course, not every single actor/singer could be such successful in the Chinese entertainment industry facing the challenges from the people in the same field. Looking back the previous few years, i actually noticed quite a few names that are really good at what they’re doing but they just can’t seem to breakthrough that invisible barrier.

Looking as promising as ever being crowned the champion of the Malaysian Idol Season 2 half a decade ago, Danell Lee have been in the scene for quite a few years already. Mimpi and 飞 are the songs that most Malaysians remembered about this local artist, back then in 2006, it looks like he’s going to make it big in Taiwan.

I have no idea why and how, it didn’t seem to happen then. Having a slight change in name from to and releasing a Malay EP – Pasti in 2008 till the recent release of a concert album (DANELL CD + DVD) still proves that he still stands firmly in the Malaysian Music Industry.

Losing out at光5 (One Million Star Season 5) at the PK phase just last year returning to Malaysia with a disappointed heart didn’t stop him from working his way in the industry.

If you ask me, after listening to his new tracks (Smile Like a Rainbow which is available in the concert album mentioned above) i would personally say that he have improved much since the years of Malaysian Idol and i particularly love the song.

Well, Chinese New Year 2010 is approaching and we as Chinese will of course hope for the best to come in this New Year, one of the thing i would really love to see is that our local Chinese Entertainment Scene being brought up to a whole new level in near future!

In short, i just want to say that the local entertainment industry is looking more promising in recent years esp. in the Chinese entertainment side where there’s a rising of production in local films/drama series as well as singers/group that really impressed me such as Karen Kong and Manhand.

As for Danell Lee, i’m looking forward to the time he make it BIG!!